T-72 tank Saumur Tank Museum
In my opinion, one of the most beautiful tank
ever built
(russian design has something special)
I have a PhD thesis in Biochemistry and I'm working as a biology research scientist for a big pharmaceutical company but my favourite hobby is wargaming. I have bought my first wargame when I was 14 in a no-longer existing french magazine Jeux et Stratégie (may be some people recall this magazine). I then turned to play with boxed english wargames like Panzer Leader from AH. Also during this period, I used to play role-playing games like Advanced Dungeons & Dragons or Runequest (probably my favourite). During my PhD thesis, I bought my first computer: a Macintosh and started computer wargaming with Stalingrad, Close Combat, Allied General... At that time, I remember to hate Steel Panthers so much since I could not play with it ! Therefore, I decided to buy a PC so I could play with all the wargames in the world. Well, I still have one big problem: I can't find the time to play !
1st Tirailleurs Regiment
Although I had always an interest for history (in particular military history), my interest in tanks is more recent. As most men used to do, I have done my military service back in 1993/94 in Epinal in the 170ème Régiment d'Infanterie which became the 1er Régiment de Tirailleurs by the end of my military service (as unbelievable as it may seem, I have done my military service in colonial troops !!). Since at that time, I was in the middle of my Ph.D thesis, I should never have gone to an infantry regiment in a combat company to become a sergeant commanding a AMX10P armoured troop carrier !! But It actually happened. During one maneuver, I had the opportunity to see Leclerc tanks: very impressive compared to AMX30 B2 !
AMX10P Armored Personnel Carrier (Mourmelon,
december 1993)
Thanks to the net, I now have the opportunity to share knowledge about the french army with other people